Screw-operated vise having shiftable nut for quick adjustment



July 14, 1953 o. G. LARsoN 2,645,143

SCREW-OPERATED vIsE HAVING SHIFTABLE NUT FOR QUICK ADJUSTMENTS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed OCT.. 2 1948 INVENTOR. O/ON G. LARSON ATT'o'P/VE Y July 14, 1953 o, G. LARSQN 2,645,143

SCREW-OPERATED VISE HAVING SHIFTABLE NUT FOR QUICK ADJUSTMENTS Filed Oct. 2, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVHVTOR. ORION G. LARSON BY /af ATTORNEY Patented July 14, 1953 SCREW-OPERATED VISE HAVING SHIFT- ABLE NUT FOR QUICK ADJ US-TMENT Orion G. Larson, Denver, Colo. Application October 2, 1948, Serial No. (2,451

1. s claims. (c1. zar-17)` l The present invention relates to a screwoperated vise having shiftable nut for quick adjustment. It has to do particularly, although not exclusively, with a vise for supporting wood pieces and having its own- Vsupporting means for Another object ofthe present invention is to provide an improved vise of the foregoing charsupporting it in various ways, as well as one which is capable of being mounted upon or applied to a work bench or table and supported thereby. f

Various kinds and types of vises have been available in the market for many years. Some of them have been efficient while others have not. Generally speaking, the present invention comprises a relatively simple, sturdy and inexpensive quick-acting vise which is efficient in operation and which is so constructed and arranged that one of the working parts or members of the vise structure itself serves, in conjunction with a conventional supporting surface which may be either horizontal or vertical, to support or mount the vise for use. An important feature of the vise of this invention is the provision of a sleeve or housing formed from a length of conventional pipe having an adjustable rod extending thereinto, the pipe and rod providing supports for the vise jaws, and a cooperable jaw position-holding unit or binding unit in the nature of a metallic cage having associated therewith, flowable friction-creating means which may be in the form of one or more rubber or synthetic rubber ring-like members which arel disposed between the pipe and the rod. Other important features, objects and advantages of the present invention will appear below.

One of the objects ofthe present invention is to provide a vise of simple and eiiicient construction in which a free sliding movement or adjustment of the movable clamping jaw may be obtained without the necessity of employing a conventional screw adjustment which is common to vises of previously known types, said free sliding movement or adjustment preferably being preliminary to the nal clamping action of the vise, which latter action is obtained by means of a screw adjustment, there being provided means for automatically maintaining the movable clamping jaw in its adjusted position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved vise of the foregoing character which includes means capable of being expanded or caused to flow at predetermined times to hold the movable jaw of the vise in fixed position with relation tothe stationary jaw of the vise. f

A further object of the present invention is to provide in a quick-acting vise structure, rubber means which is capable of being caused 'to flow from its normal position of rest to a diiferent position to maintain the movable jaw in a given adjusted `position with relation to the stationary jaw of the vise.

` invention.

acter wherein the jaws of the vise and their related parts may be swung from a horizontal position of use to a right-angularly.disposedor f upright position of use without in anyway affecting the operation" of thevise-adjusting and work-clamping mechanism.

A further object of the present .invention is to provide an improved vise as aforesaid, having a incorporated therein its own` improved means for supporting or mounting it in various positions and inY various ways.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of. the present invention will appear from the following description and appended claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this speciiication, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

In said drawings:

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view, partly in elevation and partly broken away illustrating one form of vise structure embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view, partly broken away, 'of the clamping mechanism of the vise of Fig. 1. Y

Fig. A3 isa front end elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the locking mechanism for the holding jaws of the vise with the movable jaw released.

Fig. 5 is -a View similar to Fig. 4 with the` locking mechanism in operative position to maintain the movable jaw vagainst movement relative to the stationary jaw.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. '7 is a vertical 'sectional view taken substantially along the line '1 -1 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows. l

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the linel 8-8 of Fig. 5, looking in .the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional View, on a, somewhat enlarged scale, taken substantially along the line 9-9 of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrows. f g

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the vise of the present invention employing one form of supporting means or standard.

Fig. 11 isa perspective View ofthe vise of "Fig, v10, partly broken away, and showing the vclamping jaws disposed substantially at a right angle to their position of Fig. 10.

Fig; 12 is a perspective view of the vise unit of a slightly modified form embodying the present Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a simplified form of vise and supporting means therefor.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the vise of the present invention applied to a work bench or table of conventional construction; and J Y v Y Y Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the vise of the present invention having modified supporting means and being shown as mounted upon a table top or work surface of a bench.

Before explaining in detail the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. It is to be understood also that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the invention herein claimed beyond the requirements of the prior art.

Referring now particularly to Figs. l through 9 of the accompanying drawings, there is shown in these gures one embodiment of the quickacting vise embodying the present invention. The particular vise structure therein shown is capable of application or use in various ways, some of which are illustrated in Figs. through of the drawings, these applications or uses being fully described hereinafter.

As seen in Figs. 1 and 9 particularly, the vise mechanism of the present invention is indicated as a whole at I6 and comprises, as shown, a body portion in the form of a T-coupling I1 which is internally threaded at I8. The member I1 carries, as shown, a tubular metal guide or housing member I9 having in its lower wall a longitudinal slot 20. This slot extends throughout a portion of the length of the tubular member I9 and terminates, as shown, within the coupling I6. The forward end of member I9 is externally threaded at 2| and is engaged in a threaded socket formed in an immovable metal face plate or member 22.

Extending through an opening 23 of the face plate 22 and projecting into the member I9 is a rotatable shaft or stem 24 having its outer or forward end portion reduced at 25 and its inner end portion externally threaded at 26. The shaft 24 is shouldered at the juncture of the reduced forward end portion 25 and abuts against a movable metallic face plate or member 21. As will be explained later, the normally immovable face plate 22 carries the fixed jaw of the vise, whereas the movable face plate or member 21 carries the movable or adjustable jaw of the vise.

To provide means for turning rod 24, its reduced end 25 carries an operating handle 28 which, as shown, is fixed to the shaft by a set screw 29.

As is usual with bench type vises for handling pieces of wood or lumber, the movable face plate 21 carries an upward extension or metal block 3D which is mounted in a frame 3| and is movable or shiftable by means of a finger piece which may be a screw or bolt 32 which is adapted to travel in a slot formed in the frame 3l, see Figs. 1 and 3.

As best seen in Figs. 1, 4 and 5, the rotatable shaft or stem 24 has its threaded portion 26 engaging a movable nut-piece 33 which is internally threaded and which carries a small block or plate 34 removably attached to it by a screw 35 having a head that extends beyond the outer) surface of the tubular member I9. The block or stopmember 34 fits within the longitudinal slot 20 and thus prevents rotation of nut 33 relative to the stem '24 and also the housing I9. The block thus can only be made to progress in opposite directions lengthwise of the tube I9.

As best seen in the enlarged views of Figs. 4 and 5, the holding mechanism or the releasable binding unit of the vise includes an apertured metal plate or washer 36 which rests or seats against one` face of the nut-piece or member 33. The aperture or central opening in this washer or plate member 36 is of sunicient diameter to permit the free movement therethrough of shaft 24 and its threaded portion 26. In association with the member 36 is a metal sleeve 31 having an inside diameter which is somewhat greater than the outside diameter of shaft 24. The sleeve 31 carries a plurality of preferably rubber or synthetic rubber rings, or washer-like nonmetallic members 38 whose elasticity causes them to rmly grip the sleeve member 31. The innermost ring of the group of rings 38 engages the adjacent face of the metallic washer 3G, the outermost of said ring members 38 being in engagement with a similar but somewhat lighter weight metal washer or ring member 39. In other words, the sleeve 31, the rubber or other non-metallic rings 38 and the metallic end members or washers 35 and 39, together form a binding unit or assembly which is maintained at all times in relatively intimate contact or engagement with the nut-piece 33. The holding or binding unit is thus held in engagement with the nut-piece by virtue of the provision of a longitudinally adjustable stop block or member 40 which is held in adjusted position upon the shaft or stem 24 by a lock screw 4I and by means of a relatively stiil coil or spring 42. The normal tendency of the spring 42 is to expand, as seen in Fig. 4, but it is capable of being compressed from its normal or expanded position of Fig. 4 to its compressed or contracted position, as seen in Fig. 5. During the movement of the spring from its Fig. 4 position to its Fig. 5 position, the washer members 39 and 36, together` with their interposed non-metallic flow members or rings 38, are moved together and toward the nut-piece 33. This compressing action of the spring and the movement of themetallic parts serve to squeeze together the several ring members 38 (four being shown) so that the material thereof, which may be preferably rubber, synthetic rubber, plastic or the like, will now from the position of Fig. 4 wherein the peripheries of the rings 38 are out of contact With the sleeve member I9, to a position in which their peripheries intimately engage and are forced against the adjacent wall of the surrounding sleeve member IS., this latter position being clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. It will be understood, of course, that when the parts are in their positions 0f Fig. 4, the rod 24 and its attached parts may be slid longitudinally of the sleeve I9 in either direction, whereas when the parts are in the position of Fig. 5, there can be no relative sliding movement of members 24 and I9. It will 'be understood that the strength of the coil spring 42 may be varied in accordance with the amount of pressure which it is desired to exert upon the flow members 38 and also in accordance with the diameter, and thus size or resistance to stress, of the members 24 and I9.

As indicated previously, the fixed and movable metallic face plate members 22 and 21 carry the actual work-contacting members or facings of the vise jaws. For example, plate 22 carries a wood facing piece 43 andthe movable face plate member 21 carries a similar wood or other preferably non-metallic facing piece 44. These wood blocks or members 43 .and 44 are held to their respective metallic supporting plates in any suitable manner, as by means of screws, bolts or the like -whose heads are preferably countersunk.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that when the parts of the holding device are in the position of Fig. 4 of the drawings, and also'of Fig. l thereof, the movable vise jaw constituting members 21, 44, can be slid toward or away from the Xed or immovable jaw members 22, 43 of the vise. When the contact members 43 and 44 of the jaws have preliminarily gripped or engaged the work piece (not shown) a turning of handle 28 from its broken line position as seen in Fig. 3 to its full line position of that figure, will cause spring 42 to be compressed fromits normal posi-l tion of Fig. 4 to its position of Fig.` 5, to thus squeeze and shift the non-metallic ring members 38 into their tube-engaging position of Fig. 5to hold the vise jaws tightly clamped against the work piece. Therefore, it will be understood that the quick, or rough, and preliminary adjustment of the jaws is effected rapidly by moving or shifting rod or bar 24 relative to the tube I9 and then by rotating the handle 28 until the spring 42 has been properly compressed to cause the holding or binding unit or assembly to exert outward binding pressure against the enclosing vsleeve I9 to hold the vise jaws in their nal gripping position.

As seen in Fig. 9, tubular member I9, in addition to having slot 2D, is provided at spaced points with sockets or depressions 45 and 46 (two .being shown) and the T-coupling l1 carries at one side a rotatable member 41 having a slidable handle 43, said member having at its inner end a projecting portion which is adapted to engage in either of the sockets or the slot 20. VAs shown in this gure, the Iinner end of screw member 4'? is in engagement with-socket 46, thus main-V taining the vise with its jaws in horizontal position, as seen in a majority of views of the drawings. When, however, it is desirable to dispose the jaws in a substantially vertical or upright position, as indicated in Fig. 1l of the drawings, the screw member 41 is released from contact with socket 45 whereupon sleeve I9 is rotated a quarter turn in a counter-clockwise direction tok bring the slot 2Q in registry with the inner end of screw member or pin 41. If desired, sleeve i9 may be rotated in a clockwise direction to bring socket 45 into registry with pin 41. Now by manipulating handle 4S, the inner end of member 41 is made to enter slot 2U and the sleeve member is thereby held in its new position.

As stated previously, the particular vise mechanism of the present invention may be installed in various ways, for example, upon a work bench, or it may be carried by its own supporting means or standard as indicated in many of the views of the drawings. To thus permit it to be a selfsupported and sufficient apparatus, the` tubular housing member I9 of Fig. l may have its inner end threaded into an elbow, such as the elbow de of Fig. 10, said elbow in turn being mounted upon an uprightpipe or tube 5U whose lower end is threadedly attached to a base flange member ci conventional construction, shown at 5l in Fig. l0. Moreover, the lower threadedportion I8 of the i'coupling 'l i9, see Figs. 1 and 9, receive another stand pipe or tube 52 having its lower end in engagement with a conventional base 6 ange 53; The flanges 5| and'53'may, if desired,

kbe bolted' or screwed to asupporting surface,

preferablythe floor of a work shop; or thelike.-

It is, of course, desirable to provideguiding means Vfor the movable jaw. of the .vise and, as

shown, such means ccmprisesa pair of rods 54 kand 55 whose forward ends are threadedly engaged with sockets formed inv metal face plate 21 and whichV extend through suitable holes or'` openings in immovable face plate 22. VSince face plate 22 is normally maintained immovable, the rods 54 and 55 will serve to guide the movable jaw 21, 44in a straight-line path relative to the xed or immovable jaw 22, 43.

When it becomes desirable to shift the jaws from theirv horizontal position to their upright or substantially vertical position of Fig. 11, a sp'anner wrench (not shown) is applied to diametrically opposite holes or sockets 54a in rod 54 so that the rod 54 may be unscrewed from engagement with movableface-plate 21 and slid vrearwardly away from said faceplate to permit theY vise structure, when locking screw k41 (Fig. 9) is releasedfrom socket 46, to be shifted a quarter turn viously referred to and whichis applied to the' I sockets 540 one of which may be seen in each of Figs. 2, l0 and 11.

So that the handle 28 may not be moved too far in a counter-clockwise direction, face plate 'l1 carriesa stop pin or member 56.

If desired, the vise structure of Fig. l0 may be provided with its own table or top section, as

shown in Fig. l2. Said top section is indicated as a whole at 60 and is mounted in suitable manner upon the horizontal tube IS and attached to the immovable face plate 22. As seen in Fig. 12, the upright standards or-legs 5D and 52 may be used to support a tool board or panel 6| in addition to the bench top Bil. This bench top 60 may be made to slide on vise tube i9 and, as stated above, is secured to the vise member 22. The tool board 6| provides suicientroom for tools allotted to the bench and permits .them to be openly exposed sothat the can be readily checked for shortages.

This is important'where the speed vise of the present invention with its bench top 60 and associated parts is employed, for example,v inA manual training work shops. With the formof rinvention4 shown in Fig. l2, the necessity of the usual bench tool drawer is eliminated. By such elimination, there can be no possibility of the accumulation of sawdust and shavings and for this reason the vise unit can be cleaned up promptly after class, where the visefis being used for instruction purposes. Moreover, by providing the standard or conventional threaded up right pipes or standards, such as shown at 5U and 52,'it is a simple matter to arrange for the proper height of the vise with relation to the floor. Thus, different age groups in the same or different classes are enabled to have the vise at the proper elevation for the particular group and/or individual, it being merely necessary to substitute longer or shorter supporting legs lor vpipes to accomplish this.

Fig. 13 illustrates the use of a very simple or socalled stripped.speed vise embodying the present invention. In the present instance, the tubularmember I9 has its r'ear end threaded into a conventional flange 62 which, as shown, is screwedV or bolted to a wood upright or standard 63. This particular type or vise may be applied to a vertical or upright supporting surface at any desired locationv and may thus be installed in a very limited space, heretofore impossible with bench-type vise structures.

In Fig. 14, there is shown the installation of the speed vise of the present invention upon a standard type of table or work bench, indicated as a whole at 64, 'whereas in Fig. l5 a somewhat different installation of the present speed vise is illustrated; In Fig. 15, the speed vise of the present invention is mounted' upon the top surface of a standard table or work bench, indicated as a whole at 65. In this instance, the free threaded end of tubular member I9 carries an elbow 65 which in turn is engaged with a close nipple (not shown) theY latter engaging a conventional or standard type flange 6l mounted by means of screws or bolts upon the top and near the left rear corner of table E5. The installation herein illustrated permits the vise unit to be moved from its full line position of use to an out-of-the-way position, or position of non-use, as shown in broken lines in this figure.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there is provided a relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, vise construction, which is of extremely durable nature and which may be quickly and easily, as well as accurately, adjusted to accommodate work of various sizes and lengths. Moreover, various applications for the vise have been illustrated, merely as being representative of many ways in which it may be installed and used.

The holding or binding unit or assembly which includes the non-metallic ring-like members 3S may vary as to the size of the rings and also as to the number of rings employed, it being the intention to provide one, or a plurality of members, such as indicated at 38 in the drawings, which may be formed from some suitable material which, under pressure or a compressive force, will shift or Flow from a non-binding and out-of-contact to a binding and iii-contact position to prevent the relative movement of a movable member and a non-movable member. The material employed for" either a single ring-like block 38 or a plurality of similar ring-like members, may be rubber, synthetic rubber, a composition of rubber and fabric, or in fact, any known material or any later-developed material which will serve the purpose by being capable of being moved from one position to another position when subjected to a compressive force to perform the binding action required.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A quick-acting adjustable vise comprising a stationary clamping jaw and a movable clamping jaw slidably related thereto, said movable clamping jaw having a rotatable shaft connected therewith, said shaft being provided with an externally screw-threaded inner end portion, a cylindrical guide member into which said shaft extends, a non-rotatable nut slidably disposed in the cylindrical guide member and receiving the threaded portion of the shaft, means within the cylindrical guide Ymember and engaging said non-rotatable nut for maintaining the movable clamping jaw in adjusted position relative to the stationary clamping jaw at predetermined times, said means including an inner metal sleeve surrounding the'shaft, metal end yWashers also surrounding ,the shaft, and ring-like owable members mounted on said sleeve and disposed between the metal end washers, and means for causing said iiowable members to flow into position to engage the inner Wall of the cylindrical guide memberv to maintainthe movable clamping jaw immovable with relation to the stationary clamping jaw.

2. Structure according to claim 1, wherein said iiowable members comprise a plurality of rubber ring members.

3. A quick-acting vise structure comprising a non-movable clamping jaw and a movable clamping jaw slidably related thereto, said movable clamping jaw having a slidable and rotatable shaft connected therewith,'the shaft having an externally screw-threaded inner end portion, a tubular guide member into which the shaft extends, said tubular member having a longitudinal slot extending throughout a portion of its length, a non-rotatable nut slidably disposed in the tubular member and having an internal threaded socket to receive the threaded end of the shaft and having an associated part extending outwardly through said slot beyond the outer surface of the tubular member, a binding unit carried by the shaft and engaging the nut for maintaining the shaft and tubular member against relative movement at predetermined times, said unit including means adapted to be compressed and thus shifted from a position out of contact with the tubular member into a position contacting said member in binding relationship and manually-operable means for effecting the binding and releasing action of said first-named means.

Structure according to claim 3, wherein the binding unit comprises a central metal sleeve and one or more non-metallic flowable members grippingly engaging the sleeve, and metallic washer-like members disposed at opposite ends of said flowable member or members and maintained in contact therewith.

5. Structure according to claim 3, wherein the binding unit includes a plurality of rubber ringlile members normally under tension and movable bya compressive force into binding relationship with the tubular guide member of the vise.

6. Structure according to claim 3, wherein the binding unit includes a plurality of rubber or synthetic rubber ring-like members shiftable from an inactive position t-o an active binding position by pressure exerted by a spring member carried by said shaft.

ORION G. LARSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 427,300 Carroll May 6, 1890 631,151 Campbell Aug. 15, 1899 783,531 Maxwell Feb. 28, 1905 1,155,027 Wright Sept. 28, 1915 1,738,822 Odin Dec. 10, 1929 1,818,501 Odin Aug. 11, 1931 2,454,989 Carlson et al Nov. 30, 1948 2,456,480 Austin Dec. 14, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 122,135 Germany July 19, 1901 

